A pedestrian struck by a vehicle in Bakersfield faces a brutal reality: serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and an insurance company that is already working to minimize what they pay out. You do not need to figure this out alone. Culver Legal represents pedestrian accident victims across Kern County with one goal: getting you the maximum compensation you are owed.
Pedestrian accidents are not minor incidents. The California Office of Traffic Safety consistently ranks Bakersfield among the state’s most dangerous cities for pedestrians, with fatalities and severe injuries reported near busy corridors like Stockdale Highway, White Lane, and the stretch of California Avenue running through central Bakersfield. When a vehicle strikes a person on foot, the injuries are often catastrophic. Broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, and internal bleeding are common. The costs that follow, such as surgeries, rehabilitation, lost income, and long-term care, can exceed what most families are prepared to handle.
Culver Legal has recovered over $1 billion for injured clients across California. Our attorneys handle pedestrian accident cases throughout Bakersfield, and we know how Kern County Superior Court operates, how local insurance adjusters work, and what evidence moves these cases toward favorable outcomes. We offer a free case evaluation, work on contingency, and are available 24/7. You pay nothing unless we win.
California Law and Your Rights as a Pedestrian
California Vehicle Code Section 21950 requires drivers to yield to pedestrians at marked and unmarked crosswalks. When a driver fails to do that and hits someone, the law treats that failure as a form of negligence. But negligence alone does not automatically mean a clean path to full compensation. Insurance companies will look for any reason to shift partial blame onto the pedestrian.
Under California’s pure comparative fault system, fault is divided between all parties involved. If your case is worth $1,000,000 and an insurer argues you were 25% at fault, say for crossing slightly outside a marked crosswalk, you still recover $750,000. You can file a claim even if you are found 99% at fault. Fault reduces your recovery. It does not eliminate it.
Bakersfield pedestrian accident claims are also subject to the California Freedom to Walk Act (AB 2147), which made it legal to cross outside a marked crosswalk when it can be done safely. However, if a pedestrian creates a foreseeable hazard by stepping suddenly into traffic, walking against a signal, or crossing while distracted, those facts can be used to argue comparative negligence. Our attorneys understand how to counter those arguments with evidence.
Under California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1, you have two years from the date of injury to file a personal injury lawsuit. If the driver who hit you was a government employee operating a public vehicle, a separate administrative claim must be filed within six months of the incident. Missing either deadline ends your ability to recover.
Common Pedestrian Accident Injuries in Bakersfield
Pedestrians have no protection when struck by a vehicle. The injuries Culver Legal sees most often in Bakersfield pedestrian cases include:
- Traumatic brain injuries, ranging from concussion to severe TBI requiring long-term cognitive care
- Spinal cord damage and fractures, sometimes leading to partial or complete paralysis
- Broken legs, hips, and pelvis fractures often require surgery and extended rehabilitation
- Internal organ damage and internal bleeding
- Severe road rash and soft tissue injuries
- Wrongful death when the victim does not survive
Injuries from pedestrian accidents often worsen in the days and weeks following the crash. What feels like soreness or stiffness on day one may turn out to be a herniated disc or a brain bleed that did not show on initial imaging. Getting immediate medical care and continuing that care without gaps is critical for both your health and your claim.
What to Do After a Pedestrian Accident in Bakersfield
- Call 911 immediately. Get law enforcement and emergency medical services to the scene.
- Accept emergency medical treatment. Do not refuse or minimize your symptoms at the scene.
- Get the driver’s name, license plate, insurance information, and driver’s license number.
- Photograph everything: the scene, the vehicle, skid marks, crosswalk markings, traffic signals, and your injuries.
- Collect contact information from any witnesses.
- Follow up with a physician within 24 to 48 hours, even if you were treated at the scene. Document all symptoms in writing.
- Do not give a recorded statement to any insurance company before speaking with a lawyer.
- Contact Culver Legal before accepting any settlement offer.
Expert Legal Tip from the Attorneys at Culver Legal: One of the most damaging things a pedestrian accident victim can do is accept a ride home from the scene and skip the ER. Insurance adjusters treat the absence of an ambulance or emergency room record as evidence that the injuries were not serious. Even if you feel okay, get evaluated the same day. That record is one of the most important pieces of evidence in your case.
What NOT to Do After a Pedestrian Accident
The insurance company for the driver who hit you is not on your side. Their adjusters are trained to reduce or deny claims. Avoid these mistakes:
- Do not say “I’m fine” or “It’s not that bad” at the scene. Adrenaline masks pain, and some injuries take days to fully present.
- Do not agree to a recorded statement. You are not legally required to give one without an attorney present.
- Do not accept a quick settlement. Early offers are made before the full scope of your injuries and future costs is known.
- Do not post anything about the accident or your injuries on social media.
- Do not sign any release without having an attorney review it first. Once signed, you cannot go back for additional compensation.
Insurance adjusters also look for gaps in medical treatment. Even a few days between the accident and your first medical visit can be used to argue your injuries were not caused by the crash or were not serious. Establish a clear, unbroken medical record starting the day of the incident.
Why Pedestrian Accident Cases in Bakersfield Are Legally Complex
These cases are not straightforward insurance claims. Several factors make pedestrian accident litigation in Bakersfield particularly challenging:
Disputed right-of-way: Insurers frequently argue the pedestrian was not in a legal crosswalk, crossed against a signal, or was distracted. Surveillance footage, traffic signal timing records, and witness testimony are often required to refute these arguments. Evidence disappears quickly.
Comparative negligence tactics: Even when a driver is clearly at fault, adjusters will assign partial blame to the pedestrian to reduce the payout. Our attorneys build the record early to control how fault is framed.
Severity of injuries and future costs: Catastrophic pedestrian injuries require life care planning, vocational assessments, and expert projections on future medical costs. Insurers routinely undervalue lifetime care needs. Getting those projections right requires legal experience and the right medical experts.
Multiple liable parties: In some Bakersfield cases, fault extends beyond the driver to a municipality that failed to maintain a crosswalk, a business that obscured a driver’s sightline, or a vehicle manufacturer with a defective braking system. Identifying every liable party is essential to a full recovery.
Our Bakersfield pedestrian accident clients rely on Culver Legal’s experience handling personal injury litigation across California to navigate these complexities from day one.
What You Can Recover
A successful pedestrian accident claim in California can include compensation for:
- Emergency room treatment, surgeries, hospitalizations, and specialist care
- Physical therapy, rehabilitation, and long-term medical costs
- Lost wages and diminished future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life
- Property damage, if applicable
- Wrongful death damages if the victim did not survive
Why Choose Culver Legal
Culver Legal has recovered over $1 billion for injured Californians. Our results include a $4 million auto accident recovery, a $3.55 million auto accident settlement, and a $3 million truck accident verdict. Our attorneys, Thanos Simoudis, David Merabi, Dario C. Gomez, Victoria Manesh, Michael Domingo, and Michael B. Huynh, handle pedestrian accident cases with the aggression these cases require.
We are bilingual in English and Spanish. We are available 24/7. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win your case. Our free case evaluation gives you a clear picture of your legal options with no obligation.
Bakersfield pedestrian accident victims we serve are located throughout Kern County, including communities near the Downtown Bakersfield corridor, Rosedale, Oleander, Oildale, and surrounding areas. We also serve clients in Fresno, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Gardena, San Diego, Huntington Park, and across California.
Local Resources for Bakersfield Pedestrian Accident Victims
If you or a family member was injured in a pedestrian accident in Bakersfield, the following local resources may be helpful. We do not endorse these organizations or profit from listing them.
Kern County Superior Court (Metropolitan Division)
1415 Truxtun Ave, Bakersfield, CA 93301
kern.courts.ca.gov
Bakersfield Memorial Hospital (Dignity Health) – Emergency Room
420 34th St, Bakersfield, CA 93301
Open 24 hours
dignityhealth.org
Accelerated Urgent Care
212 Coffee Rd, Suite 100, Bakersfield, CA 93309
acceleratedurgentcare.com
Other Services We Handle in Bakersfield
- Bakersfield Personal Injury Lawyer
- Car Accident Lawyer Bakersfield
- Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Bakersfield
- Truck Accident Lawyer Bakersfield
- Bicycle Accident Lawyer Bakersfield
- Slip and Fall Lawyer Bakersfield
- Bus Accident Lawyer Bakersfield
- Brain Injury Lawyer Bakersfield
- Construction Accident Lawyer Bakersfield
- Dog Bite Lawyer Bakersfield
- Work Injury Lawyer Bakersfield
- Wrongful Death Lawyer Bakersfield
- Employment Lawyer Bakersfield
- Rideshare Accident Lawyer Bakersfield
If you were struck by a vehicle in Bakersfield, time matters. Evidence fades, witnesses become harder to locate, and insurance companies begin building their defense immediately. Culver Legal is ready to fight for you right now. Call Now, (310) 600-7881 for your free case evaluation.
This content has been reviewed by the attorneys at Culver Legal, LLP, licensed to practice law in the State of California.
Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Culver Legal, LLP
5670 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1370
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(310) 600-7881
